John mckeage dortch



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l. J. MoK. DORTCH.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE AND CONDUCTOR CONSTRUCTION THEREFOR.

No. 594,386. Patented Nov. 30,1897.

. I W/TNESSES. H27ENTCH (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. McK. DORTCH. ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE AND CONDUCTOR CONSTRUCTION THEREFOR.

Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J.M6K.DORTGH.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE AND CONDUCTOR CONSTRUCTIONTHERBFOR.

No. 594,386. I Patented Nov. 30,1897.

WITA IESSES IbI E N T05 7' ORNE Y JNITED STATES PATENT EFICE.

JOHN MOKEAGE DORTOH, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE AND CONDUCTOR CONSTRUCTION THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,386, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed January 19, 1897- Serial No. 619,713. (No model.)

overhead conductor and having a movement in whole or in part adapting it to pass the hangers supporting said conductor without disengaging therefrom.

Another object of my invention is the provision of such an improved arrangement and combination of the conductor-switches, frogs,

and crossings as to adapt them for practical use with both my improved contact device and with the underrunning trolleys now generally used.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1, 4t, 11, and 16 are perspective views of various forms of contact devices illustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a modified form of the device shown in Fig. 1 as a cross-section of said modification would appear on the line 2 2 of said figure. Fig. 3 is a perspective View, looking upwardly, of a crossing-frog em bodying my improvements. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing another form of my improved contact device. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same device as it is passing along a curve in the conductor. Fig. 7 is a side view of the same device. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are respectively end, side, and plan views showing another form of my improved contact device. Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively side and end views of still another form of improved contact device, and Figs. 14 and 15 are respectively side and end views of a modification of the'same device.

Those of the drawings which I have shown and will hereinafter describe, but do not specifically claim, I have presented so as to illustrate the scope of my invention and the modifications possible thereunder. The specific embodiments of my invention which are not here claimed are reserved as subject-matter for future applications.

The suspended conductor is represented by W, and H is one of the usual types of hangers from which the conductor is suspended.

Referring to Fig. 1, A, which may be either a tube, wire, or other suitable article bent to substantially the shape shown, forms the contact portion of the device and has a plurality of contacting points upon the upper side of W.

O is a longitudinal rod connecting the bottom ends of the device and having a ring 0 about it, to which is secured the rope 7", connecting the device with the vehicle. The ring is free to travel longitudinally along 0, so that the device Will be pulled from its for ward end whatever its direction of travel. When traversing frogs and switches, therefore, the turning of the vehicle to a diverging track will, provided the switches and frogs are properly located, direct the contact device to the proper conductor.

The electrical connection with the vehicle may be made by r or in any other suitable manner.

1 f f &c., represent faces located upon the device so as to be in alinement with the conductor-hangers, said faces being formed by the curvature of A. The device is moving in the direction ofthe arrow. The hanger H is engaging face f and by means of said engagement will cause the whole device to turn on its ownlongitudinal axis,so moving the contact portion m away from the conductor and bringing m upon the conductor. It is obvious that in its travel along W to the location shown the device has first turned because of engagement between f and H, throwing the contact portions m and m away from W, and has then turned in an opposite direction because of engagement betweenf and H,throwing m and m again upon W and m away from the same. If the direction of travel should be reversed, the movement of the device would be similar, but faces f, f and f would engage H instead of those above referred .to.

I prefer to make the faces f f 850., rounded, as shown, so as to form cam-faces. It is evident, however, that the exact shape is not essential, provided they are so designed that they will engage in their travel the conductor-hangers and by reason of said engagement move the device, in whole or in part, as may be necessary. IVhen in the following description and in the claims I use the words cam-faces, it is understood that I refer to the broad description of said faces here given.

The device, if properly designed, cannot leave the conductor, as it is always supported thereon by either m and m or 022 The design of the spiral curve through which the hanger is adapted to pass depends largely upon the shape and size of the hangers used.

The cam-faces have been described as in alinement with the conductorl1angers. This obviously refers to the hanger proper and not to any portion of it which may project downward and surround the conductor.

The curved member A may be made, as shown in Fig. 2, of tubing filled with balls 13 and having an opening at such parts of the tube that the balls make all contact between the hangers and the device and the conductor and the device.

Fig. 3 shows an improved method of constructing crossings, the. The usual method employed is to secure frog-points directly to the under side of a plate, passing the conductor over said plate. In my crossing the points P P are suspended below the plate by means of hangers H II, and the points are formed with shelves S S upon their sides. These shelves afford a support for m while either or or m is in the open space between the points.

In Fig. 16 I show a slight modification of the contact device shown in Fig. 1. A and 0 correspond in their purpose and arrangement to A and C; but in this case A is a tubular member and may, if desired, be made by cutting the curved opening out of a tube. The modus operand i of this device is similar to the one already described and needs no added explanations. It is clear that the device shown in Fig. 1 is substantially the equivalent of a tube with portions thereof cut away.

Fig. 11 shows the device of Fig. 16 with the tube A of thelatter device cut into sections and connected so as to make a laterally-flexible tube A The rod 0 forms a rectangle the short sides of which pass vertically through oblong slots in the bottom of A 3 s are wires secured in couples transversely within the tube and supporting the sections of the tube upon the rod 0 This arrangement gives a tube substantially rigid against vertical movement, while free to bend laterally. The advantages of a laterally-flexible tube for passing along sharp curves in the conductor are obvious.

In Fig. 4 I show a plate F having semicircular springs A A secured thereto in pairs. The end of each spring lies upon IV and is adapted to spring outwardly from W upon engaging a hanger. 0 serves for the same purpose as does 0.

Referring to Figs. 5, 5, 6, and 7, F is a rigid ribbon upon which the shutters A A and A A are vertically pivoted at p p. A A have wings extending laterally over \V to support the device thereon. These wings have camfaees adapted to engage the hangers, thus turning the shutters about their pivots and allow the hanger free passage thercthrough. The action of the device is clearly shown in the drawings.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the wheels A A are pivotally secured to upright pins K K, which are rigidly secured to the longitudinal shaft F, to which is pivotally secured the rod 0 G G are guards, also secured to F. The Hat sides of the wheels A A rest obliquely upon 7, and their peripheries are adapted to act as the cam-faces already described. \Vhen a hanger engages one of the said wheels, it forces the wheel laterally from the conductor, thus rocking the shaft F and moving the wheels on the other side of the conductor toward and over it.

In Figs. 12 and 13, A is a tube having a continuous spiral opening therethrough. The walls of the opening act as the cam-faces and are engaged by the hangers, causing the tube to revolve and the hangers to pass through the spiral passage. Friction-rollers D D upon a yoke O are adapted to engage the outside walls of the tube and move longitudinally between the collars s 5, thus serving the same purpose as the ring 0 of Fig. 1. In Figs. 14: and 15 the same corkscrew type of tube is shown, with small wheels A A radially secured within the tube, so as to make the contact with W.

I desire to be understood as not limiting myself to the exact details shown and described, as my invention is capable of many modifications, only a few of which I have deemed it necessary to show.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor having a plurality of supporting portions, and cam-faces substantially in alinement with the conductor-hangers.

2. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor, having a non-continuous or curved passage longitudinally therethrough and camfaces substantially in a-linement with the conductor-hangers.

3. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor, havingalongitudinal passage,normally non-continuous in any longitudinal vertical section,and means,comprising cam-faces in alineinent with the conductor-hangers, for passing said hangers through said passage.

4. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor, having a passage therethrough normally non-continuous in any vertical longitudinalsection,and means, comprising camfaces in alinement with the conductor-hangers for making said passage continuous in a vertical, longitudinal, section made by the movement of the device past a desired section of the conductor.

5. An electric contact device, carried by and completely surrounding the conductor, having a longitudinally-continuous, curved passage.

6. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor, having a longitudinally-continuous, curved, passage and a plurality of cam-faces in alinement with the conductorhangers.

7. An electric contact device, carried by and tinuous curved passage, and means, comprising cam-faces in alinement with the conductor-hangers for rotating said device.

11. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor, having a longitudinally-continuous, reverse spiral, passage, and having means, comprising cam-faces in alinement with the conductor-hangers, for rocking said device in each direction.

' 12. An electric contact device, carried by the conductor, comprising a skeleton tube, as V A, having a longitudinally-continuous, reverse spiral, passage.

13. I11 an electric contact device, a skeleton tube formed of wire, and having a longitudinal passage which is non-continuous in any longitudinal, vertical section.

lat. An electric contact device comprising a skeleton tube formed of wire and means for moving said tube along the conductor.

15. In an electric contact device, a skeleton tube formed of wire, having a longitudinallycontinuous, curved passage.

16. In an electric contact device, a skeleton tube formed of wire adapted to be carried by the conductor, and having cam-faces in alinement with the conductor-hangers.

1'7. An electric contact device comprising, in combination, a tubular member surrounding the conductor and supported thereon, a rod secured horizontally below said member and connections from said rod to the moving vehicle.

18. In an electric contact device, a slotted tube surrounding the conductor and forming a skeleton tube of larger size, and a plurality of balls loosely filling said slotted tube and projecting outward from the slot.

19. The combination, in a frog for electric conductors, of a plurality of crossing-points having lateral shelves, suspended by hangers from a hood, and arranged so as to form an unobstructed space at the central portion of the crossing.

In testimony whereof I have affiXed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MOKEAGE DORTCH.

Witnesses: I

JOHN H. KENNEDY, H. W. SMITH. 

